Park Prepares For Massacre Re-enactment

Northwest - In Brief

December 26, 2004|By Lori Carter, Special to the Sentinel

BUSHNELL -- Tracey Standridge, park manager at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park, and her staff have been preparing for the 24th annual re-enactment of the massacre that sparked the start of the Second Seminole Indian War.

About 200 participants from across the Unites States will re-enact the Dade Massacre on Jan. 1 and 2.

The re-enactment will begin at 2 p.m. each day.

During the massacre on Dec. 28, 1835, more than 180 Seminoles ambushed and killed U.S. Army Maj. Francis Dade and 105 of the 108 soldiers in his main regiment.

The battlefield park has a museum containing artifacts from that time period.

On both days of the re-enactment, vendors will sell food and drinks, and demonstrations such as soap making and blacksmithing are planned.